Katie Shanahan has been crowned European champion in the 200m backstroke at the Paris European Championships , confirming her status as the swimmer to beat after topping both the heats and semi-finals. The British swimmer, the only competitor to dip below 2:10 and then 2:08 since the start of the competition, took another significant step forward in the final. Her winning time of 2:06.13 saw her pull clear of the field and improve her personal best by more than a second, and the national record by 0.53s. Following the two British titles won in the 4x200m freestyle relays the previous evening, Shanahan has now added another gold medal to the United Kingdom’s medal tally in the Paris swimming pool.
Katie Shanahan delivers in the European Championships final
Katie Shanahan had steadily established herself as the swimmer to beat in the 200m backstroke from the opening session of the European Championships. Arriving in the heats with the fastest European time of the year, the British swimmer immediately underlined her ambitions by posting the quickest time of the morning in 2:09.29. Shanahan was the only swimmer in the field to break the two-minute-ten barrier, giving the United Kingdom’s representative an early advantage over the rest of the field and setting the tone for the rounds that followed.
The British swimmer then raised her level again in the semi-finals. Shanahan clocked 2:07.61, comfortably the fastest time across the two semi-finals and, once again, the only swim under the 2:08 mark. Having already led the field in the heats, she now had a clear margin heading into the final. Camila Rebelo was the second-fastest qualifier in 2:08.48, while Pauline Mahieu posted the fourth-fastest time in 2:09.20. Shanahan’s position was further strengthened by the season’s European rankings. With French swimmer Bertille Cousson failing to progress from the heats, the British swimmer entered the final with the fastest season’s time among the eight finalists.
Her semi-final swim of 2:07.61 gave her almost a full second in hand over Rebelo’s 2:08.48, reinforcing Shanahan’s position as the leading contender for the European title. The British swimmer opted for a measured opening 50m and found herself in second place at the first turn, 0.43 seconds behind Pauline Mahieu. With the French swimmer benefiting from strong home support, Shanahan was initially forced to chase rather than dictate the race.
But by the 100m mark, Shanahan had moved into the lead with a split of 1:01.80, already holding almost a second over the chasing field. From there, the British swimmer steadily increased her advantage, maintaining a strong and controlled pace through the third 50m. The gap continued to grow as Shanahan reached the 150m mark. She was now around 2.20 seconds clear of Camila Rebelo, leaving the gold medal firmly in her hands with only 50m remaining. Shanahan managed the final length of the race with composure, protecting her advantage all the way to the wall. She touched in 2:06.13 to secure the European title and, in the process, rewrite her personal best.
Her previous best stood at 2:07.45, set in 2023. Shanahan therefore lowered her personal record by 1.32 seconds, a substantial improvement over 200m and the clearest indication yet of the progress she has made in the event. Furthermore, she breaks the British record set in 2009 by Gemma Spofforth (2.06.66). For the United Kingdom, Shanahan’s victory adds another individual European title to an already successful opening to the swimming programme in Paris. Following the two British 4x200m freestyle relay victories on the opening night, her 200m backstroke triumph provides another strong result for the United Kingdom.
